Increase Your Property Value with These High Payoff Home Improvements

A home is one of the few things in the market that hardly depreciates, especially when it’s well-maintained. Whether you are looking to sell your house or you simply want an upgrade, you can increase property valueby prioritizing the following renovations:

Conservatory

With a capital of about £10,000, you can already buy a conservatory kit with fine quality materials and build it as well. Mostly, building doesn’t require a planning permission but you should still check the Building Regulations before getting any work done.

Your sun room will still be a part of your house so its design should be in harmony with its surroundings. To get the most of the midday sun, you should position it facing the south. This will also make it usable throughout the year. Never position it towards the north as it can get really cold in the winter. Other features you should keep in mind are the energy efficiency, ventilation, blinds, and air conditioning system.

Return on Investment: 108%

Exterior

Unless you’re living ina conservation area, you are free to perform certain improvements within your property under the Permitted Development Rights.

Your house’s exterior can attract or repel prospective buyers so little things such as repointing brickwork or clearing the gutter can significantly increase property value. Although a lovely garden is a definite plus, it’s not all there is to an exterior. The dirty windows and roof tiles that have seen better days should be fixed. It can significantly depreciate your house’s value so it’s important to perform regular maintenance checks.

If you’re planning to perform more drastic renovations like adding a porch, you should seek experts’ help. Consult reputable builders to make sure you’re getting an add-on that is pretty and is able to withstand weather changes.

Return on Investment: 75%

Structural Repair

Sure, an extra bathroom may be a plus to a potential buyer, but it can get easily outweighed by a leaking roof that is begging for a major repair. Before making cosmetic improvements, ensure that your home is free from structural defects like bowing walls or insect infestation.

Other obvious examples of a structural defect include:

Unstable chimney stack

Leaking showers

Dampness

Sagging roof or ceiling

Rotten timbers

Collapsed slab

Though repairs like these can be disruptive and expensive, they significantly impact the value of the house as well as the quality of living of the residents more than superficial add-ons ever will.

Return on Investment: 65%

Kitchen

The kitchen area not only says a lot about the personality of the homeowner, most times it is actually the main attraction in the house. In revamping your kitchen, the most critical parts are the worktops, handles, doors, and of course, the lighting. Opt for good quality cabinet carcasses made from melamine faced chipboards (MFC) or cover the interiors with timber veneer panels or sheets for a more sophisticated look. Make sure that the doors and handles are well fitted and the floor looking hygienic and easy to clean.

As for lighting, all fixtures should be adjustable and prevent shadows and glares. Recessed lighting or down lights are best placed over the kitchen sink while hanging or pendant lighting are ideal over an island or the dining table.

Most importantly, ensure you have adequate space to accommodate a washing machine, dryer, and a refrigerator.

Return of Investment: 49%

Bathroom

The bathroom is where people go to relax after a long day so ideally, it should be hygienic, replete with luxury touches like a heated shower, underfloor heating, and a neutral light to boot.

But more than the fancy features, you should check if the plumbing system is fully functional. Most modern houses have a mains pressure system; water is delivered throughout the entire house with the same pressure, so simultaneous showers and other multiple demands wouldn’t be a problem.

Gravity fed water systems are still the most commonly used throughout the UK. Unlike the mains pressure where your home would rely on the set pressure, you can adjust certain items in the pressure and flow that you desire. Plus, you will be storing water in the temperature that you want.

A Combi boiler doesn’t store hot water. Rather, it heats water as you use them. It’s very easy to install as it doesn’t require a hot water cylinder nor does it need a small header cistern.